This morning I woke up to start my car and the engine wouldn't start. Every light on the speedometer came on including the radio. When turning the ignition it gave out a ticking noise. So I jump start the car and everything seem to be ok. An hour later after having the car parked for awhile I hop in my car and the same thing happens. So I drop by AutoZone to pickup a battery and ask the guy if it an alternator problem or a battery problem, he tells me if the battery isn't charging then its the battery. But from my understanding that the alternators the one that charges the battery. Too bad I didn't have my car there to diagnosis it. But I wanted to know what's the specific problem is before I drop some money on an alternator.

 

Start the car pull the positive cable off. If the car dies its the alternator. If not its the battery.

 

If it is making the ticking noise its the battery. Batteries only last so long and then go dead no matter what, they wont recharge forever. So if it was dead and you drove somewhere then you turned the car off and came back and turned it on again and it didnt start then its just the battery, once its dead it doesnt recharge. There is no way its the alternator i wouldnt even worry about it. Get a new battery and put it in there and it will start right up....

If it was the alternator you would be able to back out of your driveway and then the car would just die a full battery cant even power a car running for 5 minutes without the alternator.

Im 99.9% sure its your battery.

 

That just happened to me last week (friday) its the battery, go to autozone and get one

 

DO NOT pull the battery while the car is running! You can damage the alternator! Find a friend with a Volt meter. You should have a mininmum of 12.5 volts after it has sat for at least an hour. When you start it, you shoudl have 13.5 to 14.3 volts at about 1500 rpm. If you don't it's the alternator. If you have the 14.3 and it still won't start, it's the battery.

 

O boy here we go!